Of Mothers
by MurdererMine
Summary: Lin runs into someone unexpected under a tree at the top of a hill. Someone who's familiar, despite the fact that she's never met this person in her life, as far as she knows.


I own nothing but Boff.

A/N; What's this? I'm posting a second time this week? And in the same fandom too? Getting crazy around here...

Anyway, Lin meets someone unexpected while dropping off some flowers and ends up listening to her for a while.

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Lin's booted feet fell silently as she walked over the grassy field. While she usually wasn't one to dally, this was one of the few places and times she allowed herself the pleasure of just walking slowly, taking her time. There was no rush, the person she was going to see would always be there, in her place under the tree.

She eyed the gravestones she passed, many dotted with fresh flowers left by those who'd been left behind. Her fist clenched around her own bundle of flowers . The metalbender smirked slightly, making her scars tingle a bit. Her own reason for leaving flowers was not nearly so sentimental, she liked to tell herself. She just left them because she knew they'd annoy her mother.

When she reached her mother's grave Lin was surprised to see someone else standing beside it, not because she was unused to other people visiting the grave but because she didn't know the woman. Lin eyed the woman, who had yet to notice her, curious and a bit baffled. The lady's wavy white hair was long and her her long dress was elegant and looked expensive. One pale, wrinkled hand rested delicately on the gravestone and she gazed sadly down at the cool earthen monument. Lin cleared her throat, at a bit annoyed at the intrusion of this strange woman on her weekly visit.

"Excuse me, but why are you at my mother's grave?" The woman turned to face her, seeming unfazed, and Lin could see now that she was very old, her face wrinkled and her green eyes faded with age. She seemed familiar somehow.

"Oh, this one here?" The old lady's quiet voice chimed as she patted the stone innocently. Lin frowned. There wasn't another grave close enough for her to have meant any other.

"Yes, that one." Lin crossed her arms over her chest impatiently. The woman squinted at her, seeming somehow relieved.

"I'm just observing is all." The old woman smiled sadly. Lin sighed in annoyance. The lady slipped her hands into her draping sleeves, looking like a painted porcelain doll, ornately dressed and long forgotten.

"I haven't been here before. My husband disliked this city, you see, so we never came here. When he died, though, I wanted to come see this Republic City I'd heard so much about." The woman turned back to stare at Toph Bei Fong's grave and Lin rolled her eyes. She didn't want to stand here listening to this crazy old woman's life story, least of all at her mother's grave, but she felt somehow obliged to do just that. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the sun begining to set in the distance, its fiery golden light casting long shadows over the soft, grassy hillside. The old woman turned back to face her again, a more serious look in her eyes.

"You know, I had a daughter once. She was a good girl, if a bit rambunctious. You remind me of her a little. Impatient." Lin shifted uncomfortably and the lady smiled kindly, then frowned. "I'm afraid I was a terrible mother, though. The last time I saw her she was just turning sixteen. It was from a distance, and she didn't know I was there. She was so happy, even if she was filthy and crude. She was much stronger than I could've imagined too." The lady's silvery jade eyes stared off into nothing as she recalled the last time she'd seen her daughter. Lin supposed she should say something.

"That must've been a long time ago." Lin coughed uncomfortably. The lady chuckled, amused where some would've been insulted.

"Yes, it was a very long time ago. My daughter grew up and had a family of her own and a life without me in it, just like she wanted. I have a grandchild who I've never even met. And I couldn't help but worry, even though she was so strong and I knew she had many dear friends. I tried to reach her a few times, but my husband wouldn't have it. They didn't part on the best of terms, you see. She never came looking for us either. Never sent any letters, not that I blame her, not even to tell us things like that she'd been married, or the birth of her first child." Lin frowned, slightly annoyed by this woman's daughter.

"Why not?" The very old woman sighed sadly.

"She had no reason to. The last time we spoke she tried to reach out to us, to share who she really was and we pushed her away. We tried to keep her from doing what she was meant to, what she loved to do. We panicked, really. She was so young and tiny and what she wanted to do was dangerous and frightening. My dear husband never learned to accept it, but after a while I realized my mistake. It was too late though, the damage was done." The frail old woman turned to watch the sun as it set. "It seems horribly unfair that one panicked mistake should cost me my daughter. All the wealth in the world and I couldn't do a thing about it." Lin frowned and shifted from foot to foot.

"Couldn't you just go ask her forgiveness?" The woman shook her head. "Well, why not?"

"She died. It was a few years ago now. I wasn't even told so I missed the funeral." The older woman's head tilted down, her hands still clasped in her sleeves.

"Oh. Sorry." Lin felt kind of guilty for making the old woman sad, but she shook it off. It wasn't her fault the lady's daughter was dead. The old woman smiled again.

"No, no. You couldn't have known dear." The lady squinted at her uniform for a moment. "Say, are you one of those metalbending police?"

"Yes, why?" Lin tried not to sound as suspicious as usual, given that this nice old lady was probably nearing her nineties, but her voice was still harsh.

"Oh, you are! Do you happen to know that Lin girl?" Lin bristled at that. She was the chief of police, not some little girl. She managed to reign back her temper, after all, to this lady everyone was probably considered a child. She cleared her throat.

"I'm Lin Bei Fong." The old woman chuckled.

"Oh you are? That's nice. I'm very glad to meet you. From what I hear you're very good at what you do." The strange woman smiled.

"I guess." Lin quirked one eyebrow, amused and a little confused. A man was walking towards them, waving.

"I think it must be time for me to go now." The old woman shook her head sadly. Lin eyed her suspiciously.

"So why are you at my mother's grave, really?" The lady chuckled, then frowned.

"I'm just saying my goodbyes." The frail old lady turned and did something that startled her. She leaned over and kissed the gravestone. "Goodbye Toph." Lin stared at the older woman, confused by all of the emotions in her voice when she said Toph's name. The man had reached them and held out his elbow to the noblewoman. She grabbed his arm and they walked very slowly away.

"Madame, would you like to take the satomobile to the-" The servant began.

"No. I'll walk." The woman cut him off.

"Are you certain mam? Surely-" The lady cut him off again.

"It's my eyes that are going, Boff, not my mind." The servant stayed quiet. Lin turned and watched them trundle slowly away.

"Wait," Lin shouted after them. "what's your name?" She wasn't sure why she cared, but she somehow did. The elderly lady turned back and smiled at her one last time.

"It's Poppy." Lin turned back to her mother's grave as the very old lady wandered away, wondering why that name sounded familiar. Probably some old friend of her mother's. She'd ask Katara about it the next time she saw her.

The chief of police knelt and set her flowers gently next to a bouquet that she hadn't noticed was already laying on her mother's grave.

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A/N: If you don't know who Poppy is I am deeply disappointed in you. She's Toph's mom. Lin is meant to be around thirty in this story (which means that Poppy _could_ still be alive, just very old.)

This was strangely fun to write. If you spot any grammatical infractions, please do tell me so I can fix them. Also, I'm very interested in your opinions. Did I get Lin in character? I've never written her before so I'm not too sure.

Likey? No likey?


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